1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a tool for cleaning debris from elevated rain gutters while stationed on a ladder and more particularly a tool that is reversible for drawing along the inside of a gutter of whatever configuration to eliminate debris collected in the gutter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rain gutters come in several designs and materials, generally listed under the headings of K-type or half-round. In general, debris and dirt collecting in rain gutters must be cleaned out to avoid water back up that could damage a home or building.
There are numerous cleaning devices, some with handles to be manipulated, blindly, by a person standing on the ground. Some of these devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,288,188; 3,858,267; 3,626,542; 6,139,077; 5,988,715 and 5,435,612. These devices disclosed by these patents feature various types of heads designed as scoops, claws, tines, jaws and blades to be used as pushers, scoops or pullers. Some are equipped with a water hose attachment to flush out the debris. Most have limited flexibility in and around gutter spikes and are expensive to manufacture and market. They have several complicated rigid parts and are somewhat awkward and limited in movement.
A few devices, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,848,818 and 4,726,090, require an operator to walk along the roof edge and are therefore accident-prone. ladder, where it is then scooped out of the gutter and into a container (not shown) which may be conveniently suspended on the ladder. This procedure eliminates the necessity of cleaning debris from the ground and surrounding bushes.